James M. Deem seems to have a knack for finding interesting topics in history, exploring them, and explaining them in an easily digestible manner. With The Prisoners of Breendonk, he's uncovered a piece of World War II history that I'm quite certain few are familiar with. I wasn't until I found this book. Though not a concentration camp, Breendonk saw just as much horror and human atrocity as some other well-known locations. Deem manages to give voice to some of the prisoners through meticulous research and dedication to the the subject. Many pictures and maps are included to help create a sense of the location and the gloom. At times the writing may be a bit too simple and starts to feel a little off topic as Deem recounts some loosely related ties at the end, but on the whole this is a well done book. Great for school projects or for one's own informative reading.

Note: ARC received via Amazon Vine in exchange for review.